Desktop 3D printers are no longer a huge novelty. They can be found in everywhere from offices to homes, but one concern is the emissions that they release. Those who work in technical recruitment or even in engineering recruitment will know this more than anyone. Tech sites are now processing some very bracing findings that came from a study in Georgia. The whole thing was very in-depth, and they also looked into printer usage as well. A senior advisor called the study the most extensive one to date when you look at the emissions that printers can release and the goal was to try and analyse this in a controlled environment. Studies have shown in the past that the fused filament fabrication that the printers are designed for are known for operating a huge level of ultrafine particles. In fact, there are over 200 volatile compounds and some of them are irritants and carcinogens. These are all released when the printer is in operation.

So how can this affect humans? The particles that are released can easily be inhaled and this can have an impact on your respiratory health in general. Weber stated that the needs release filaments showed a ton of adverse responses. Air quality can take a hit on the environment as well and this is especially the case if you don't have a good level of ventilation. A lot of factors, such as the temperature setting, the box and even the filament can all affect emissions. On top of this, different printers actually release different compounds as well, so when you take this into account you will soon find that there really are tons of things to be concerned about. That being said, the team are working diligently to make sure that the issues are sorted out ASAP.

Aurora Flight Sciences have revealed some of their plans for the Odysseus aircraft. This is a solar-powered autonomous plane that has the chance to stay in the air indefinitely. The plane is designed to make its very first flight in 2019 and it is also one of the high-altitude satellites under development right now. The aircraft are known for having a bigger wingspan and they are also covered in photovoltaic cells. These do replace some of the functions that come with satellites but at a fraction of the price.

Odysseus has a 74m long wingspan and the carbon fibre frame also means that it weighs way less than a smart car. As if that wasn't enough you will also find that it has the ability to stay in the air for very long periods of time. This means that the team who are working on it could easily plan out missions that last for months on end and it could also mean that they are able to operate in a global zone. This cannot be said for other types of plane. The company have also stated that the aircraft is suited to weather observations and that it is also capable of measuring vegetation. That's not all it can do, it can also measure ice coverage.

This is especially interesting for those who work in technical recruitment or engineering recruitment. Odysseus is the culmination of decades of work and it all started out with the Daedalus project. This happened in 1988 and it was an aircraft that managed to set a ton of records between the Greek Islands. The project was led by the Aurora President, but John Langford also took part in it to make sure that everything went to plan at the time. Ever since then, they have gone on to experience a huge level of success.

MIT Media Lab researchers have worked hard to develop a wireless system that is going to use RFID tags that are on billions of products. They are doing this so that they can sense potential food contamination. Food safety incidents have actually made headlines around the globe so far. They are said to cause illness and even death every single year. Back in 2008, 50,000 babies in China were sent to hospital because they had formula that had been contaminated with melamine. This is a compound that is used in plastics and it is incredibly toxic if you have it in high concentrations. More than 100 people in Indonesia have also died from drinking alcohol that has been contaminated.

The researcher's own system is known as RFIQ and this includes a reader. It detects any signals that come from RFID tags. They are focusing on baby formula and alcohol at the moment but there are talks that in the future, consumers may be able to have their own reader. They can then use it on any food related product to find out if it is contaminated or to even find out if the food is spoilt. Of course, if you work in technical recruitment or even in engineering recruitment then you will know what a step forward this can be.

The technology really does hinge on the fact that certain changes in the signals came from a RFID tag and that this corresponds to certain contaminants. It is a machine model that is learning from the correlations from the past, and on top of this, it also has the ability to detect whether a material is pure or not. This is an amazing step forward to say the least and only time will tell how far this could go.

The first event of its kind was held at the Westminster Abbey. It's a Thanksgiving service and it is also designed to represent those from the engineering community. The multi-faith service was very well timed as it was designed to celebrate the Year of Engineering and even the Institution of Civil Engineers. They even had testimonies from ambassadors such as Roma Agrawal MBE and even Deborah Porter.

Colonel Porter went on to state that injured soldiers are benefiting from the engineering advancements that have been made. This is especially the case for those who work in prosthetics. This is a first for the Abbey. She even went on to talk about the idea of osseointegration as well, as this happens when the prosthetic is connected to the bone of the patient. Those who work in engineering recruitment or even technical recruitment will understand more than anyone what a big move this is.

The opening statement was delivered by Dame Ann Dowling. She is the president of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She quoted the Duke of Edinburgh when she was asked to try and describe the profession. She also stated that engineering expertise will be the key to tackling the global challenges that are going to be faced in the years to come. On top of this, engineers are going to play a central role when it comes to addressing the effects of things like climate change and even the ever-rising sea levels. This will help to ensure that the population always have access to things like clean energy and even food as well. This will also have a huge impact on healthcare as well, so this is something else that needs to be taken into consideration when you look at the event as a whole.